As the solar wind strikes Earth

Graphic of the Earth and its atmosphere. Solar wind particles penetrate and interact with the ionosphere.
As the solar wind strikes Earth
When electrically charged particles from the solar wind, accelerated by solar storms, strike Earth's ionosphere with force, they knock electrons off gas atoms and molecules – turning them into charged particles known as ions. This process, called ionisation, disrupts radio signals travelling from satellites to Earth. Navigation systems are particularly affected and can become inaccurate or even stop working for a short time.